Any suggestions/recommendations for a new TV?

[admin_exported]

Hi guys,

I'm thinking about upgrading my current 37" Pana (TH-37PX70BA, "HD Ready") to something a bit newer and larger, but I'm not too sure what to get. I'll have a look in-store before purchasing, but am not sure if I should I stick to plasma, or change to LCD. I'm sure if I got an LCD I'd get used to it, and of course LCD has lower running costs, but I do like the look of the current screen. I would like to move up to full HD though.

I've had the current one a good few years now (about 5-6 years iirc), and whatever I replace it with I'd want to stick with at least as long again, so although I'm unlikely to be watching much 3D content for now, it's probably a good idea to get something capable of it.

I'm also not sure if I should upgrade to something like a 42", or all the way up to a 50", considering the living room isn't really massive.

Hmm... I'm really not sure of much right now, am I. Normally I have a much better idea of what I might want, but I just don't know this time around. So any suggestions would be gratefully received. I was thinking something around £800 or so, but could stretch up to £1000. Can't really go appreciably higher though.

From a bit of reading of reviews, the Panasonic TXP50GT50B looks quite nice (found for £989), or the 42" (for £789). If I look at LCDs, possibly the Sony KDL-40HX853 (£949). The 46HX853 looks nice, but at £1150 a bit out of range. Or maybe a Samsung (UE40ES7000 for £900, UE40ES8000 for £1000). All of these have 5 year warranties included, which is a nice bonus. I'm sure there are others out there though, any suggestions/recommendations to look at?

Many thanks.

 

[Paul.]

First questions to ask yourself, how close are you going to sit to your TV, and how bright is your room? I quite like plasmas, I think they are great value for money, but if you have a very bright room or want to watch in the daytime an LED tv may be a better bet as they tend to be brighter. Measure your distance from your head to the TV, I have a 51" at a 2.5m veiwing distance. I personally would aim to have your TV size (diagonal measurement) half your viewing distance (2.5m = 98", so a 50" is ideal) as this is pretty imersive but not rediculously huge

 

[Anonymous]

I'll have to check the distance when I get home. In terms of watching in the daytime, I personally only do so on the weekend normally, but my partner is at home during the day, so does. I haven't had any complaints from her about the brightness of the current one though, and my weekend viewing has always felt fine, unless it's a very bright day (in which case I end up closing one or more of the blinds).

 

[Feral]

Hi Knewt,

You said your TV was HD ready but what have you got connected to it at the moment, Sky/Sky HD, DVD/BluRay?

One thing to be careful of when looking in shops is that the dispay mode settings tend to be overly bright and harsh you'll need to pull them back a bit when you get home to get a better image for day to day viewing. It's easy to pay for features you won't use and a lot of the smart tv functionality is being provided by bluray players and catchup services on sky/virgin etc.

Regards,

Feral

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Feral,

I've got Sky HD, and a Sony BDP-S790 (among other things).

I certainly want to upgrade to full HD, and 3D would be a nice-to-have for future usage (since I want a good 5-6 years use out of the new box), although not totally essential I guess. The smart-tv stuff isn't a requirement at all, but seems to come with most decent tv's now as far as I can see.

A good point about the display modes in the shops. Hopefully they won't have messed about with the Cinema settings, and I can at least try switching to those.

Regards,

Jody

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Hi guys, I'm thinking about upgrading my current 37" Pana (TH-37PX70BA, "HD Ready") to something a bit newer and larger, but I'm not too sure what to get. I'll have a look in-store before purchasing, but am not sure if I should I stick to plasma, or change to LCD. I'm sure if I got an LCD I'd get used to it, and of course LCD has lower running costs, but I do like the look of the current screen. I would like to move up to full HD though. I've had the current one a good few years now (about 5-6 years iirc), and whatever I replace it with I'd want to stick with at least as long again, so although I'm unlikely to be watching much 3D content for now, it's probably a good idea to get something capable of it. I'm also not sure if I should upgrade to something like a 42", or all the way up to a 50", considering the living room isn't really massive. Hmm... I'm really not sure of much right now, am I. Normally I have a much better idea of what I might want, but I just don't know this time around. So any suggestions would be gratefully received. I was thinking something around £800 or so, but could stretch up to £1000. Can't really go appreciably higher though. From a bit of reading of reviews, the Panasonic TXP50GT50B looks quite nice (found for £989), or the 42" (for £789). If I look at LCDs, possibly the Sony KDL-40HX853 (£949). The 46HX853 looks nice, but at £1150 a bit out of range. Or maybe a Samsung (UE40ES7000 for £900, UE40ES8000 for £1000). All of these have 5 year warranties included, which is a nice bonus. I'm sure there are others out there though, any suggestions/recommendations to look at? Many thanks.

It has got to be the Panasonic 50GT50, it is awesome and at around £899 to £999 is the best deal of the century!

 

[strapped for cash]

Hi guys, I'm thinking about upgrading my current 37" Pana (TH-37PX70BA, "HD Ready") to something a bit newer and larger, but I'm not too sure what to get. I'll have a look in-store before purchasing, but am not sure if I should I stick to plasma, or change to LCD. I'm sure if I got an LCD I'd get used to it, and of course LCD has lower running costs, but I do like the look of the current screen. I would like to move up to full HD though. I've had the current one a good few years now (about 5-6 years iirc), and whatever I replace it with I'd want to stick with at least as long again, so although I'm unlikely to be watching much 3D content for now, it's probably a good idea to get something capable of it. I'm also not sure if I should upgrade to something like a 42", or all the way up to a 50", considering the living room isn't really massive. Hmm... I'm really not sure of much right now, am I. Normally I have a much better idea of what I might want, but I just don't know this time around. So any suggestions would be gratefully received. I was thinking something around £800 or so, but could stretch up to £1000. Can't really go appreciably higher though. From a bit of reading of reviews, the Panasonic TXP50GT50B looks quite nice (found for £989), or the 42" (for £789). If I look at LCDs, possibly the Sony KDL-40HX853 (£949). The 46HX853 looks nice, but at £1150 a bit out of range. Or maybe a Samsung (UE40ES7000 for £900, UE40ES8000 for £1000). All of these have 5 year warranties included, which is a nice bonus. I'm sure there are others out there though, any suggestions/recommendations to look at? Many thanks.

It has got to be the Panasonic 50GT50, it is awesome and at around £899 to £999 is the best deal of the century!

As a caveat, if you can get a good one then it is indeed a fantastic deal.

I just got a call from the JL delivery driver to advise that my replacement GT50 will be here in the next half hour. I'm praying it's not afflicted by DSE and buzzing to the same degree.

I have to say, though, that even if I have the same issues with the replacement, I can't think of another model from any manufacturer I'd want to replace it with, unless JL feel like giving me a VT to compensate for hassle! I'm so glad I bought from John Lewis. At least you're looked after.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Hi guys, I'm thinking about upgrading my current 37" Pana (TH-37PX70BA, "HD Ready") to something a bit newer and larger, but I'm not too sure what to get. I'll have a look in-store before purchasing, but am not sure if I should I stick to plasma, or change to LCD. I'm sure if I got an LCD I'd get used to it, and of course LCD has lower running costs, but I do like the look of the current screen. I would like to move up to full HD though. I've had the current one a good few years now (about 5-6 years iirc), and whatever I replace it with I'd want to stick with at least as long again, so although I'm unlikely to be watching much 3D content for now, it's probably a good idea to get something capable of it. I'm also not sure if I should upgrade to something like a 42", or all the way up to a 50", considering the living room isn't really massive. Hmm... I'm really not sure of much right now, am I. Normally I have a much better idea of what I might want, but I just don't know this time around. So any suggestions would be gratefully received. I was thinking something around £800 or so, but could stretch up to £1000. Can't really go appreciably higher though. From a bit of reading of reviews, the Panasonic TXP50GT50B looks quite nice (found for £989), or the 42" (for £789). If I look at LCDs, possibly the Sony KDL-40HX853 (£949). The 46HX853 looks nice, but at £1150 a bit out of range. Or maybe a Samsung (UE40ES7000 for £900, UE40ES8000 for £1000). All of these have 5 year warranties included, which is a nice bonus. I'm sure there are others out there though, any suggestions/recommendations to look at? Many thanks.

It has got to be the Panasonic 50GT50, it is awesome and at around £899 to £999 is the best deal of the century!

As a caveat, if you can get a good one then it is indeed a fantastic deal.

I just got a call from the JL delivery driver to advise that my replacement GT50 will be here in the next half hour. I'm praying it's not afflicted by DSE and buzzing to the same degree.

I have to say, though, that even if I have the same issues with the replacement, I can't think of another model from any manufacturer I'd want to replace it with, unless JL feel like giving me a VT to compensate for hassle! I'm so glad I bought from John Lewis. At least you're looked after.

Fingers crossed for you. The VT was my expensive back up plan too.

 

[strapped for cash]

Thanks Gel.

I'm reserving judgement for now. I'll see how it goes over the next couple of weeks.

First of all, buzzing isn't an issue with the replacement.

For whatever reason, the colour balance is more natural on the replacement too (everyone had a fake tan look on my first GT50). I've no idea why, but images look more accurate on the new set. So far so good.

DSE... yes, it's there, but at the moment seems milder than on my original GT50. I need to watch some football for the real test. And I think DSE became more noticeable over time on my first GT50 as well...

If this is as bad as things get (which actually isn't bad at all) I'll keep it. Curiously, this has a different model number prefix to my first set. My original GT50 began with FB, while this one starts with FE. I wonder if the latter denotes a more recent manufacture date?

 

[Anonymous]

First questions to ask yourself, how close are you going to sit to your TV, and how bright is your room? I quite like plasmas, I think they are great value for money, but if you have a very bright room or want to watch in the daytime an LED tv may be a better bet as they tend to be brighter. Measure your distance from your head to the TV, I have a 51" at a 2.5m veiwing distance. I personally would aim to have your TV size (diagonal measurement) half your viewing distance (2.5m = 98", so a 50" is ideal) as this is pretty imersive but not rediculously huge

Okay, getting the tape measure out it's about a 2.5m viewing distance on the furthest away seat, slightly closer on the other end of the sofa, but I think it'd work out okay. I'm getting seriously tempted by the GT50 now. £989 is the best price I've found (RGB Direct), I'm going to try price-matching from JL. Think I'll make a visit to RGB on Saturday and take a good look.

 

[Paul.]

Cool, sounds spot on

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Thanks Gel.

I'm reserving judgement for now. I'll see how it goes over the next couple of weeks.

First of all, buzzing isn't an issue with the replacement.

For whatever reason, the colour balance is more natural on the replacement too (everyone had a fake tan look on my first GT50). I've no idea why, but images look more accurate on the new set. So far so good.

DSE... yes, it's there, but at the moment seems milder than on my original GT50. I need to watch some football for the real test. And I think DSE became more noticeable over time on my first GT50 as well...

If this is as bad as things get (which actually isn't bad at all) I'll keep it. Curiously, this has a different model number prefix to my first set. My original GT50 began with FB, while this one starts with FE. I wonder if the latter denotes a more recent manufacture date?

Great news.

I think it does with the manufacture date. Where are you getting the number from? On the box or on the back of the TV? Been trying to read the number of the back but can't get round to see it. I will try again when I turn it off. Yeah on AVForums they were reading the numbers and noticing there were different batches.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

It is strange with mine I hear no buzzing from the front but when I went around the back of it just then I did notice some coming from the back of the TV, it certainly isn't a problem though.

 

[Paul.]

It is strange with mine I hear no buzzing from the front but when I went around the back of it just then I did notice some coming from the back of the TV, it certainly isn't a problem though.

Buzzing is usually from the transformer. It is more obvious from behind because of the ventilation. Put on a fully white screen like the snow scenes in Starwars Episode V, buzzing should get louder if its present. My Samsung does it in bright white scenes, not enough to bother me though. Maybe best not to go hunting for problems though, what is seen cannot be unseen!

 

[strapped for cash]

Where are you getting the number from? On the box or on the back of the TV? On AVForums they were reading the numbers and noticing there were different batches.

The number is on the back of the TV, near the middle, and on the box as well (on the white label on either end). I'd be interested to hear if your GT50 has an FE prefix.

I'm reserving judgement on the new set for the moment. Obviously it's got less than two hours clocked up, and I've spotted very mild DSE a few times so far. I can see it more clearly if I look at a uniform grey screen (my AVR's screen saver). That said, if it hardly ever shows up on actual content, I won't consider it an issue.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

It is strange with mine I hear no buzzing from the front but when I went around the back of it just then I did notice some coming from the back of the TV, it certainly isn't a problem though.

Buzzing is usually from the transformer. It is more obvious from behind because of the ventilation. Put on a fully white screen like the snow scenes in Starwars Episode V, buzzing should get louder if its present. My Samsung does it in bright white scenes, not enough to bother me though. Maybe best not to go hunting for problems though, what is seen cannot be unseen!

Yeah it was coming from the top left and top right at the back. Just been watching a bit of The Grey again, the whites were brilliant against the blacks. Mine does more on whites too but only occasionally notice it mainly on the adverts where there is an all white screen, it goes straight after so really isn't a problem.

 

[strapped for cash]

It is strange with mine I hear no buzzing from the front but when I went around the back of it just then I did notice some coming from the back of the TV, it certainly isn't a problem though.

Buzzing is usually from the transformer. It is more obvious from behind because of the ventilation. Put on a fully white screen like the snow scenes in Starwars Episode V, buzzing should get louder if its present. My Samsung does it in bright white scenes, not enough to bother me though. Maybe best not to go hunting for problems though, what is seen cannot be unseen!

I agree, though the buzzing was louder on my first GT50 (assuming the very new second one doesn't develop a louder buzz).

I think it's really a question of finding a set where this inherent plasma trait doesn't become obtrusive to enjoying the TV.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Where are you getting the number from? On the box or on the back of the TV? On AVForums they were reading the numbers and noticing there were different batches.

The number is on the back of the TV, near the middle, and on the box as well (on the white label on either end). I'd be interested to hear if your GT50 has an FE prefix.

I'm reserving judgement on the new set for the moment. Obviously it's got less than two hours clocked up, and I've spotted very mild DSE a few times so far. I can see it more clearly if I look at a uniform grey screen (my AVR's screen saver). That said, if it hardly ever shows up on actual content, I won't consider it an issue.

I have got the big Panasonic black sticker in the middle at the back and to the left a smaller white sticker, not sure which one it is on, can't see at the moment.

 

[strapped for cash]

It's the smaller white sticker (the number is at the very bottom). Anyway, don't worry, it's not worth breaking your back lifting the TV, or straining yourself trying to see round the back!

 

[Deleted member 2457]

It's the smaller white sticker (the number is at the very bottom). Anyway, don't worry, it's not worth breaking your back lifting the TV, or straining yourself trying to see round the back!

Think I might need a magnifying glass.

 

[strapped for cash]

It's the smaller white sticker (the number is at the very bottom). Anyway, don't worry, it's not worth breaking your back lifting the TV, or straining yourself trying to see round the back!

Think I might need a magnifying glass.

I saw the number while lifting the TV onto the stand. Not sure I'd stand a chance now without lifting it off my AV cabinet.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm getting seriously tempted by the GT50 now. £989 is the best price I've found (RGB Direct), I'm going to try price-matching from JL. Think I'll make a visit to RGB on Saturday and take a good look.

Ooh, JL do it in-store for only £999 (online is £1049), so even if they don't end up price-matching for some reason only a tenner in it. JL here I come tomorrow to check it out in person

 

[strapped for cash]

Strange that the online price is now higher than a month ago (albeit the same if you buy in store).

I'd recommend buying from John Lewis if you decide on the GT50, as the five year warranty and after sales service are definitely worth it.

 

[Paul.]

I recall when I was looking at JL a month ago, all the clearence offers on the web page were ending on the 22nd of Jan. I think the prices will probably have gone up due to clearance ending.

 

[Anonymous]

Strange that the online price is now higher than a month ago (albeit the same if you buy in store).

I'd recommend buying from John Lewis if you decide on the GT50, as the five year warranty and after sales service are definitely worth it.

RGB also do a 5 year warranty (direct from Panasonic) included in the cost, but the JL after-sales service is what moves it to the top of the list.